


Deep Breaths

by VelveteenPrince



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wizard AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-18 21:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14860604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelveteenPrince/pseuds/VelveteenPrince
Summary: Yuri chose the worst day to forget to take the more advanced spells to an assignment Victor had sent him. In a secluded hut in a clearing in the woods he meets an injured knight pleading for Someone. Yuri might have just stumbled upon more than he bargained for.





	1. The Name

_Tend to his wounds_. Is what Victor had said. 

Nothing else. Not a glance his way, not a smile. 

Whatever, he could deal with that… _If he wasn’t so angry at him, that is._

Though he decided to convey it in impractical ways. Not taking his robes with him despite Victor’s constant nagging about how _"A wizard should look the part when performing magic!”_

Or carrying only the equipment necessary for the most basics of spells.

_“What are you going to do when you encounter a knight with a spear through the chest?”_ Victor would say. 

“If the spear’s in his chest, he’s as good as dead.” Was his simple reply, making himself chuckle for how clever he was. He really wasn’t expecting an actual knight to show up. Though not with a spear, his wounds were no better. Yuri feared he’d have to take him back to his house in this state. 

No good. Victor would scold him then for sure. 

His eyes scan the knight’s body, quickly losing blood and consciousness on the bed of a small hut in the outskirts of town, a safe house for sick and wounded knights to rest when the hospital was too far.

Yuri clasped his hands together, conjuring up a healing spell, his area of expertise, placing both hands over the knight’s wounds.

Was this guy even awake? He hadn’t said a word since Yuri arrived. And if it wasn’t for his weak panting, he might have left him for dead. “What were you even doing so deep in the woods?” He wonders out loud, not quite expecting an answer. He takes notice of the loose threads just above his belt. If he was a royal knight, this is where his badge should be. “And where’s your entire cavalry?” 

Beads of sweat collect on his forehead, yet the wounds beneath his fingertips close with the same ease as if he was folding paper.

“T-there’s… someone with warrior’s eyes—” 

Had he just talked? So he was stronger than Yuri had given him credit for. Clinging to life like this, it was something he could admire. 

“You’ll make my job more difficult if you try to speak. You’re still weak.” He knew he wouldn’t fully recover until he brought him back to the workshop. But having him move around in this state would be dangerous. Yuri had barely managed to numb the pain after he stopped the bleeding in his major wounds. The ones he couldn’t simply close with a swipe of the hand. If he hadn’t been so stubborn and just brought the extra equipment along… 

_No,_ this was no time to beat himself up over what could and would have. There were still things he could do with what little he had. If only to help the knight recover enough strength to finish his sentence. 

Luckily, he still remembered the spell to fill up a flask, which he brings to the knight’s lips, propping his head up gently to urge him to drink.

The knight obliges, quickly gulping down the water that was offered to him. A weak exhale escaping his lips before he let himself fall on the bed again, giving in to his exhaustion. 

Yuri checked for breathing. The knight had become so still, his breathing weakening with each passing second. 

_It’s okay,_ he told himself. Once he’d rested, he’d take him back to the workshop, sneak past Victor —not that it would be hard now that he’s so damn enamored with the other Yuuri to notice anything that went on around him— and he’d heal him properly there, sealing his wounds. 

Without noticing, his hands had wandered up to grip the knights arm, as if to reassure himself with the warmth of his body. 

“You—” The knight said in dreams, his brow knitting before a coughing fit wracked over him. 

“Shh.” Yuri cooed, trying to stop him from pushing himself too hard. It would be bad if his wounds got any bigger. But he also acknowledged this guy wasn’t going to feel any better in his state. And what was he trying to say, anyway? Could he be hallucinating? 

He checked for fever. It had gone down since he got there. Did he need anything? He’d given him water. Was it food? Fuck, he felt powerless without the right magic. He leans in. “What is it you need?”

His hand weakly reached for Yuri’s face, eyelids parting just slightly, yet eyes still unfocused. “You…” 

The knight’s hand went limp again, falling at his side. Now he definitely needed to know the rest of that sentence. 

He remembered one spell. One that could repair damaged tissue. Not regrow—but, if done right, would help him at least _close_ the biggest wound with the magic he did control well. If he failed, the damage ranged from leaving a horrific scar to… he didn’t want to think about that. Only someone like Victor could pull this off. And he only knew about it from watching him, and occasionally sneaking into his room to read from the the advanced spellbook he kept under his bed. But perhaps… if he concentrated enough…He bit his lip, considering his options. 

_This isn’t the time for that, Plisetsky!_ He told himself. He’s sure this is what Victor would want him to do. After all, he hadn’t come to his aid. Which _must_ mean he believes in him, right? Yeah.

“Hey.” He calls in a whisper. The knight at least deserved to know what he was about to do. “I’m going to try something else, okay? Worst case scenario you’ll get a nasty burn.” That was a lie. “But I need you to trust me for this.” Also a lie. But it was one Victor told all his patients, _magic is only half from me, the other half is you believing it will work_

Something about reassuring yourself by reassuring them first. He never really understood.

_If they already came to you, they believe it’s going to work._ Is what Yuri had told him. But at this point he was willing to try everything.

The knight nodded, eyes closing as he relaxed to let Yuri work. 

_... A lot more compliant than most of Victor’s_

His hand trembles above the wound on the knight’s chest. Victor had always told him to warm up with smaller wounds when it came to the advanced healing spells, (that Victor only agreed to teach him after seeing Yuri lose sleep to study books he could only read half of) but Yuri knew the energy required for a spell this big would leave him unable to proceed with the bigger ones. He gulps, taking a deep breath right after. 

“I… need to stop the pain-numbing spell. You need to tell me if you feel anything out of the ordinary.” Gods, the fact that he even had to say something like that to someone… why would anyone trust him with something like this?

The knight offers a slight upturn of his lips, a shaky hand adding a simple thumbs up to his nod. 

Yuri took deep breaths, eyes closed to ease the knot in his stomach. _These things don’t work when you’re so stiff._ Victor would say. “It’s okay.” He mutters, more to himself than to the knight, as his heart drumming in his chest wasn’t letting him concentrate. 

“By the way…” if he messed this up, “what’s your name?” he wanted to at least remember the knight by something other than, _the knight with the gentle eyes._

His breathing became heavy without the pain erasing spell, possibly even hard to talk. Yuri should have asked before removing it. “Otabek.” He could tell he struggled, not wanting to let it show in his face. “Altin.”

_Otabek_. He repeated the name to himself a few times. Yes, it suits him. 

“I’m Yuri.” He paused. “Plisetsky.” Not that it mattered whether the knight learned his name or not, far from it. He just wanted to stop shaking. And it seemed to help, the words of the spell rolling off his tongue with ease the next moment, hands already warm with the familiar tingling of magic seeping through his fingers. He lacked the experience, the age, perhaps even the right mindset.   
_You need to clear your head of all foul thoughts or you’ll never get it right. Try to think of something that makes you happy._

Like it was so easy. The only person that made him happy was his grandpa, but sadly he was very far away. Yuri pushed all other thoughts aside, urging Victor’s voice to shut up. 

He exhaled, —when did he start holding his breath?— realizing he’d blacked out in the middle of it. And his magic had abruptly stopped when he startled himself. Fuck, had he really messed up? His eyes remained closed and he really didn’t dare open them. Scared he might find Otabek’s eyes not returning his gaze. A pit swallowing his stomach whole, imagining the worst.

“Yura?” A hand swiped carefully across his cheek, catching a stray hair and tucking it behind his ear. His name… 

He opened his eyes to find Otabek staring at him, eyes tired and lidded but very much alive. He looked down to where the wound had been replaced by a massive scar Otabek was sure to remember. 

“I… you’re alive.” It was a statement he didn’t need an answer for, warmth spreading in his chest as the tears he found himself holding started to flow along with a relieved laugh.

He’d been so scared, despite not knowing this guy or why— 

His brow knitted once his head was clear. “Did you…” He inhaled, tears abruptly stopping. “Where did you hear that name?”

A coughing fit overtake Otabek once again as he took a breath to respond.

“Otabek!” Yuri’s hand reached for the water flask as Otabek tried to sit up. Blood spurted out onto his palm. Yuri’s eyes widened as crimson streaks rolled down the space between the knight’s fingers. 

He’d messed up. He’d messed up. He’d messed up _bad._

The water flask fell from his hand, wetting and quickly forming a puddle at his feet. As with shaky hands he reached for the bag. 

Crystals, slips of parchment and pocket sized scrolls flew across the room until he found what he was looking for. A small glass marble, so delicate it resembled more a bubble.  
With a snap of his fingers he shattered it, blowing the violet smoke released towards Otabek. After a few choked breaths the knight fell limp back on the bed. 

Yuri heaved with tears caught in his eyes as the smoke wrapped Otabek’s body in a thin mist. He turned to his bag once again, where only a few metal boxes and a palm-sized wooden statue of a sparrow remained. He grabbed the sculpture, walking to the window.

“I need your assistance. Spread your wings once again.” He whispered. The statue’s hand carved wings painted in bright reds and yellows grew just as vividly colored feathers, and blinked with shining black eyes as soon as Yuri finished his plea.

“Go find Victor, please.”


	2. His Face

Small birds standing on the windowsill of the usually open window wasn’t a strange feat during cleaning time. They liked to join in on the songs Yuuri was usually humming as he swept floors and dusted sheets.

This bird though— flew straight in, circling Yuuri a few times, chirping so fast it could barely be understood. 

_Vi--Vi--Vic—_ “Victor?” Yuuri asked, bending over to meet this sparrow at eye level as it settled on their table, wings flapping incessantly. “He was summoned urgently to the palace, he left hours ago.” Makkachin too, stood up from his resting spot to sniff at the bird. But remained otherwise unimpressed.

“Hey, aren’t you— Yurio’s?”

The sparrow chirped in response, as it prepared to take flight. Yuuri promptly stopped it simply by reaching out with his hand.

“What? No! If Yurio’s in immediate danger you need to take me to him! There’s no time to find Victor!” 

Reluctantly it agreed, jumping on Yuuri’s open hand.  
Pleased, he leaped out the window, broom in hand. The sparrow fluttered close behind, watching Yuuri balance himself on the metal fence before hopping on his broom. “Makkachin! Take care of the house while I’m gone.” 

Makkachin barked in response, getting on his back paws and hanging onto the windosill. 

“I’ll be back before you know it. Promise.”

The sparrow chirped to call his attention. And they were on their way.

—-—

Sitting at the edge of a wooden drawer, Yuri had both hands clasped under his chin, eyes closed and brow furrowed, listening intently for any changes in his surroundings. If anything other than the creaks of Yuri’s rocking back and forth were to disturb the air, he’d hear it.

And something did happen. Just outside, the silence cut by the wind whipping. And tainted with an unmistakable voice in distress, getting closer at an alarming speed  
_”No, I don’t know how to land it!”_

Irritation irked under Yuri’s skin as he stood up.

_CRASH!_  
_Thump_  
_“Ouuch!”_

Yuri rolled his eyes as exasperated footsteps got louder and louder, before the door swung open, revealing an agitated and sweaty Yuuri Katsuki, his nose dripping blood as the faintest hints of a bump on his forehead reddened slightly.

“You’re not Victor.” 

“Yurio what happened here?!” He said, ignoring Yuri’s remark. Noticing the limp body of a knight on the bed. Hands tucked just above his belt, bared chest peacefully rising and falling, crimson splashes dried around mouth. 

“He’s under a preservation spell. He’ll be fine as long as the smoke doesn’t run out.” He explained, his head swaying a little on top of stiff shoulders. “Well, not _fine_ but he can’t get worse while he’s under it…” He sighed, trailing off. 

Yuuri prompted him to continue with a nod of the head, searching for his eyes.

“It’s just I— don’t really know how long it lasts. On living organisms...” 

“That—that's for corpses?!” Yuuri stumbled, startled.

“What else could I do?! He was _dying_ ” He rubbed his face and Yuuri could not tell if he was more embarrassed than he was anxious.

“No! It’s… A really creative way to use that spell…” He tried to calm him down, raising both hands at chest-level. “Buy why would you put him under it?” 

“Are you serious? Even you can’t be so blind as to not see the scar I left on his chest. And the blood around his mouth. And how pale he is.” He said, pointing at each thing individually with an open palm, before crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Or did Victor send _you_ here as some sort of joke?”

“Um… No, I see all of that. It’s just—” Yuuri got closer, examining the way pinkish threads of skin weaved into a sunken star shape, colliding right under the knight’s rib cage . “Yurio—” 

“Don’t call me that.” 

“—Right. Did you close such a big wound with a healing spell?” 

“I failed!” 

Yuuri tried, he really did, to find fault in it. To his untrained, naked eye, he couldn’t for the life of him see how it could be considered a failure in Yuri’s eyes. But then again, that’s why he’d asked for Victor and not him. 

Still, he was all Yuri had at this moment and they were going to work something out together. “Were his internal organs damaged?”

“His lungs were bruised. Presumably from the huge fucking hole in his chest.” 

Ah, that can’t be too hard to deal with. “We might have something for that back at the house.”

He was hoping to see Yuri relieved once he looked up, but he only sat back on the drawer, a sigh escaping his lips. "Well that's just great." That's when Yuuri realized the knight wasn’t the only one pale as a marble statue. Yuri was looking positively ghostly due to exhaustion. He could fail to draw the line at his limit sometimes, Yuuri know how that felt. And, more than anything, he understood perfectly well not wanting to fail Victor.

“Hey.” He said, slipping next to him without getting a response. “You know, Victor didn’t send me.” Only a curious side glance did he get in response. Yuuri considered it progress. “He had an important meeting at the palace.”

“Victor’s not home?” Yuri’s eyes widened.

“And he might not be back for a few days.” Yuuri gave a playful nudge to Yuri’s side. 

“How are you going to manage that?” Yuri mocked, the bite usually present in his words vanished. 

Yuuri feigned indignation to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks, relieved to see the tension had lifted off their shoulders. He was about to make a _look who’s talking_ remark when Yuri smacked him in the face.

“Ouch! My—”

“Shh. I’m healing you. You hit yourself pretty bad.”

“Oh.” His head indeed stopped pulsing almost immediately upon contact with Yuri’s cooling hand. “Thanks.” 

“How are we going to move him?” Yuri asked once he removed his hand.

They both stared at the knight, at a loss for ideas.

“Is there a chance you have a spell for that?”

Yuri shrugged. 

With Yuuri taking the heavier upper part and Yuri helping with the feet they managed to mount him on Yuri’s horse, tying him up tight enough so he wouldn’t fall. They made their way back to their house. Yuri hovering close behind them on the broom Yuuri brought. He insisted it had to do with Yuri actually being able to land a broom and _not_ with making Yuuri walk. He didn’t believe it for a second, but allowed it anyway, seeing how Yuri kept fighting away the sleep from his eyes.

Upon opening the front door Yuri collapsed on the floor.

—-—

He awoke three days later with the midday sun on his face. In his bedroom was Yuuri, drawing the curtains back.

“Ugh— Piggy?” Simply lifting his head proved to be impossible when a sharp pain shot right through his spine as he attempted to move.

“Oh, Yurio! You’re finally up! You’ve been asleep for two days straight.” 

It certainly felt like it with how bad his head was pounding and his limbs felt like they were about to fall off.

“You strained yourself too much.” Said Yuuri, walking over to him to help straighten him, fluffing his pillow. Pins and needles travelled under his skin at the forced movement.

“I didn’t lose my magic, did I?” 

“No. But Victor said you shouldn’t use it for a couple days until you regain strength.” 

“Where is he?”

“Still not back. But he’s been writing.” Yuuri sat down at the edge of his bed, handing him a glass of water from his bedside table.

With a heavy wrist he accepted the water, relieving his aching throat with a sweetness that instantly numbed the pain. He recognized Victor’s very own remedy. “And the knight?” 

“Already up and about. I could only give him what little medicine we had, so it wasn't as quick of a recovery as it could have been. But he’s feeling better.” 

Yuri hummed, gulping down the rest of the medicine.

“He was attacked. And fell into the river. All of his personal belongings were taken.” 

“Did he tell you?” Yuri asked, an eyebrow raised.

Yuuri shook his head. “A little birdie did.” 

“Right. You haven’t exchanged a word with him. Should have known.” 

“He’s not exactly talkative himself.” Yuuri defended himself. “But he did ask about you as soon as he woke up— and has asked about you every day since." He got up, walking towards the door "You can go talk to him once you’ve had breakfast.” 

He managed to get out of bed, limbs still screaming at him but at least it was bearable enough to ignore. He stared at his desk plant, rugged at the edges presumably from those three days he’d been neglecting it. Despite Yuuri taking the time to water the plants in his window, he’d been asked to leave this one alone, as this one served only to be healed, never watered. It was practice for him, research material for Victor.

He stroked one of the leaves with a healing thumb. The first hints of a headache pulsing in his temples. 

_So he really had done a number on his magic the other day, huh._ Giving up, he instead got rid of his night clothes and trying not to think too hard on how these weren’t the clothes he was wearing when he passed out… Ugh.

Grabbing a clean set and a towel, he made his way to the bathroom. Not three steps after closing his door did he notice he wasn’t the alone in the hall, and that the eyes fixed on him belonged to none other than the knight, just as Yuuri’d said, up and about. 

Too far from his door but not close enough to the bathroom, Yuri stood in silence for a couple of excruciating seconds, during which a full-on fire rose up to his cheeks. “What are you looking at?” He said, trying to sound cool and collected about it, and he’d say he managed it, if he ignored the fact that he was currently only wearing a towel around his hips.

Otabek didn’t seem to hear him, as he continued on his way the next second, disappearing down the stairs. 

Yuri finally understood what the Piggy told him about Otabek not being much for conversation.

—-—

Finding Otabek after breakfast proved to be just as easy as the first time, as he hadn’t moved from the living room table, where he was quietly reading a book.

Well more like— scanning with unusual interest as he flipped page after page. 

“U-um.” Yuri called in hopes to get his attention. 

And it worked! The staring contest resuming for a few seconds before Otabek raised the book he was reading. “Can you do this?”  
Yuri leaned in to read. It was a spell for memory recovery. Up until now he’d only been dealing with physical injuries. The mind presented quite a big challenge for him still. He shook his head. “Victor can probably do it. But he’s— away.”

Otabek set it back down, defeated. Before, perhaps, remembering Yuri hadn’t moved an inch, and looking back up, hand extended out. “Otabek Altin.” 

“Yuri. Plisetsky.” He made no attempt to move towards him, still remembering their meeting from before.

But Otabek seemed to have forgotten all about it, only smiling in response. “I know _your_ name. I thought you might have forgotten mine.” 

Hmph. As if he’d ever forget such an intense experience. “Well _I_ thought you might not have remembered mine, as last you heard it you were half dead.” 

Otabek retrieved his hand, setting both of them down on the still open book. “But I knew your name long before I was dying in front of you.” 

“Yeah. But, _how?_ I’ve never met you.” 

Otabek looked down, suddenly appearing smaller. Yuri wondered if he’d said anything weird.

“Have we… met before?”

He took a deep breath before he could answer. “For reasons unbeknownst to me, I can’t do magic anymore.” 

“Wait—” That answered none of his questions. And if anything it only raised more. Yuri shook his head, finally daring to take a step towards Otabek. “I thought you were a knight.” 

“It’s not something I’ve been my whole life.” He explained. “Before I served the palace, I studied magic, just like you.”

He urged Otabek to continue, sitting at the chair opposite to him. 

“To be honest, I can’t for the life of me remember when I stopped. Most of it’s a blur. And all I’m certain of is that I’ve seen your face before. But that too is something I could have spent my whole life without knowing.” His fists clenched as he spoke, knuckles turning white as his expression became somber. “If I hadn’t come across that old man who recognized me—”

Yuri’s eyes widened, his chin slipping from his palm and almost colliding with the table. “An old man?”

“Ah.” Otabek finally snapped out of it, meeting Yuri’s eyes at last. “I didn’t know he was your grandpa at the time. But he was the one that made me realize something happened to me. And told me I should come see you.” Otabek explained. “Actually, he gave me a letter for you.” 

“Grandpa sent me a letter?” He couldn’t help the tears welling up, his chest pounding, he hadn’t heard a word from him since Victor took him in as his apprentice. 

“Yes. Unfortunately, it was part of the things that were stolen from me, along with my horse. I’m very sorry.” 

"Do you... happen to remember what the letter said."

Otabek shook his head. "It was a private thing, so I didn't read it. But I'm told he explained what our relationship was before I lost my magic. And you lost your memories."

Yuri gritted his teeth, “Otabek!” A fire burned inside Yuri’s chest, slamming his hands on the table as he stood up, a determined smile on his face. “We’re going to get your horse, and my grandpa’s letter back. And I know exactly how to do it.”

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a WIP for -hoo boy- so, so long. So I wanted to post it now! Fantasy AU's are my jam, man...   
> idk if anyone's interested in a continuation but I have several chapters planned out if this catches anyone's interest!


End file.
